Chapter Nine

NOTE from the PHOENIX: Okay, you've read the first page of this chapter already (most likely), but here now is the whole thing...

Chapter Nine.

"How's your arm?"

"Annoying, but I'm learning to ignore it." Daniel replied. "Sort of reminds me of Jack in that way."

Janet shook her head with a smile. She held out her hand in a silent request to see Daniel's arm. Carefully unwrapping the cotton cloth she inspected the angry red marks with a clinical eye. Her greatest concern was the risk of infection, however the open skin looked healthy.

"Am I going to live?" Daniel teased.

"It looks that way."

"Good to hear."

Daniel reached up with his uninjured hand and brushed Janet's cheek affectionately. Janet flushed, she still wasn't used to this kind of attention from him. The strange turn their relationship had taken was exhilarating, but under the circumstances more than a little awkward at the same time. Daniel picked up on her discomfort and pulled his hand away from her. Unsure of what to do Janet glanced at Daniel.

"I've seen that look before." Daniel said softly.

"What look?"

"It's hard to explain, I normally catch flashes of it when I wake up in the infirmary and you're there. It usually vanishes quickly."

"That's the 'I wish I could do more to help him, but I don't know how' look." Janet admitted. "Since we've met I've restarted your heart seven times, and yet I never felt that I could truly bring you back to life. When I've brought others back from the edge of death it's always brought them a new perspective on life, they tend to see it as a second chance. They enjoy the chance to continue on. You never have. You just haul yourself back to your feet and run back into the fight."

"Seven times? Did I ever even so much as say 'thank you'?"

"Not that I can recall."

"I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry about, Daniel. It's just how you are. I have always just wished that I could help you realize that you deserve to enjoy life."

"I think I might be on my way, this past month has been the first time in more years than I care to count that I haven't been focused on revenge. Despite our captivity I have truly enjoyed out time together."

"So have I."

"Of course I'm also starting to think that you deserve better than me." Daniel teased.

Janet smiled and rolled her eyes. She shoved Daniel playfully and he retaliated by wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her up against him. Janet returned the embrace and closed her eyes with her head against his chest. Daniel nuzzled her and sighed deeply in contentment.

"Thank you, Janet, you truly have started my heart again."

"Anytime." Janet chuckled.

The pair was disturbed as a woman entered the tent meekly with a large tray of food. She set the metal plate down and bowed before scurrying away. Daniel crawled out of bed and brought the offering over. Janet picked up a piece of cut fruit and looked at Daniel.

"Do you always get fed this well by captors?"

"I don't usually get fed this well by people treating me as an honoured guest." Daniel admitted. "I suppose for the most part we've been treated well."

"'For the most part' is the key statement, we're still stuck here and I get the feeling we walk a fine line."

"Agreed."

As they finished up breakfast another visitor entered the tent. Gaius looked tired, but he was smiling. He walked up to Daniel and gave him a small velvet pouch. Accepting the gift Daniel opened the pouch and looked in at the small collection of gold coins inside.

'Gaius, what is this?'

'Have you never seen gold before?'

'Yes, but why?'

'For saving my son's life. He is doing well this morning, under the care of Tao he would not have lived the night.'

'I'm pleased to hear that, I really am, but gold isn't what I want.' Daniel gave the coins back to Gaius. 'I want to go home.'

'That is not something I can offer you.'

'Gaius, this isn't necessary. If this war could be ended you wouldn't need a doctor.'

'You don't understand.'

'No, I don't, explain it too me. Maybe we can help.'

'You have a purpose and you will serve it.' Gaius said stubbornly. 'Come, some of our other men require your skills.'

"Daniel, what's happening?" Janet asked.

"Looks like it's back to work."

Janet nodded and followed Daniel out of the tent. Gaius brought them back to the large tent that had been set up for the sick and injured. It had been hard to see how many men were there in the darkness of last night. In the daylight it was clear that this war was taking a heavy toll. The local doctor Tao was already there and he looked at Daniel and Janet sourly.

'I do not need or want their help.' Tao growled.

'I do not care what you want and you certainly do need it.' Gaius snapped.

'At least get that woman out of here!'

'No.' Daniel growled. 'She stays with me.'

'She stays, Tao.' Gaius confirmed. 'She knows not to touch.'

'She will faint at the first sight of true gore.' Tao huffed.

'I assure you she will not.' Daniel countered.

'Tao, this is not open to discussion.' Gaius turned to Daniel. 'Help whoever you can.'

'I'll try.'

'If you need anything two of my men are standing outside.'

Gaius shot a dangerous look at Tao and the doctor did cower slightly. Once he was gone Daniel looked around at the thirty or so dying men laying on blankets of fur on the floor. He didn't even know where to start, but he could tell that Janet was already performing triage in her head. Tao walked up to Daniel and bared his teeth at him.

'You think you're so skill, why don't you save Telmek.'

'Which one is Telmek?'

'Back corner, you'll know him by the smell.'

Daniel didn't like the sound of that, but Tao had already turned his back on him. Sighing heavily Daniel wandered over to the back corner with Janet at his side. The man in question was separated from the others and Daniel instantly knew why. The stench of decay hung around him in a toxic cloud. If it wasn't for the slow rise and fall of his chest Daniel would swear he had been dead for days. A light blanket covered him, but Daniel was unsure if he wanted to remove it.

"Gas gangrene." Janet diagnosed instantly.

"Gangrene?"

"Yeah, that's a very distinctive smell, this particular form is caused by a bacterial infection and forms gases. Which is part of what you're smelling."

"Can we save him?"

"I don't know. Take the blanket off."

Daniel knelt down next to the sleeping man and pulled off the blanket. He hadn't thought it possible for the smell to get worse, but it did. His breath hissed over his teeth at the sight of the man's bright purple swollen lower leg. His foot had been wrapped in a cloth and Janet asked that Daniel remove this as well. Under the foot was mangled and eaten by infection. Janet looked it over with a critical eye before turning her attention to Daniel.

"Daniel, I know you don't want to hear this, but if he is going to survive the leg needs to come off at the knee."

"Wha...what?"

"Even in a modern clinic that would be the treatment. The gangrene is far too advanced to repair the tissue, and gas gangrene doesn't respond to antibiotics anyway. Wait any longer and it will spread through his blood and kill him."

"You don't really expect me to cut off his leg do you?"

"Only if you want him to live."

Daniel stared at Janet in horror, but her expression did not change. He looked back to Telmek and sighed heavily. After a few months of indecision Daniel reached out and shook Telmek awake. He didn't surface easily and when he did his face twisted in pain. Telmek looked up at Daniel in confusion.

'Telmek?'

'Y...yes.'

'My name is Daniel. I want to help you, however the only way you'll live is if we remove your leg. Even then I can't pro...'

'Anything, do anything. Please, I don't want to die.'

'Okay.' Daniel smiled sadly. 'I'll do everything I can.'

"What did he say?"

"He wants us to go ahead with the surgery. Do you think I can do it?"

"He'll die if you do nothing."

"That doesn't really answer my question." Daniel teased.

"You don't want to hear the answer."

"Fair enough. What do we need?"

"My kit has enough morphine to keep him passed out, as well as scalpels, and sutures. I don't have a knife strong enough to get through the knee."

"I'm sure Gaius's men do. I'll get it."

"Get some water and cloth as well. We also need a small fire, that torch on the post over there will have to do."

Daniel nodded and headed out to the front of the tent while Janet hunted down the rest of the supplies. Gaius's men hesitated to give Daniel a sharp knife, but in the end they agreed. He brought the knife along with a bucket of water and a bundle of cloth back over to Telmek. Janet already had a syringe full of morphine and handed it to Daniel.

"Alright, tie off the leg at the upper thigh to reduce as much blood loss as we can."

"Okay."

"You're going to cut up under the patella and then down through the joint so that you don' t have to saw through any bones and we'll have enough of a skin flap to close the wound. Around the knee is a large artery, that will need to be cauterized quickly. Start here..."

Janet reached out and put her hand on Daniel's knee where she wanted the first incision. It took Daniel three tries with the knife just to cut the skin, not because it wasn't sharp enough, but because he couldn't bring himself to push hard enough. Once through the skin Janet encouraged him to cut quickly through the mass of tendons and ligaments.

There was far more blood than Daniel had been expecting and the feel of cutting through living sinew was churning his stomach. Once the knife was through the joint it easily sliced through the rest of the tissue and skin and the rotting limb came free.

"Good job, Daniel."

"Janet...I'm going to be sick."

"Don't you dare."

"Right, sorry."

"It's okay, just don't think about it."

"Right."

Janet took the knife and went to hold it in the flame for a moment. When she came back she instructed Daniel on how to stop the artery from bleeding. It was more difficult to talk him through how to do stitches, but they managed. Once the wound was as closed as they could get it Daniel washed Telmek and himself off and wrapped the stump in a cloth. Daniel sat back and closed his eyes, panting for breath now that it was over.

'What have you done?' Tao horrified voice broke the silence.

Tao reached down to pull the cloth away from Telmek's leg. Without thinking Janet lashed out and grabbed his wrist to stop him. Tao's eyes widened with shock as he stared down at Janet's hand wrapped around his skin. Jerking back violently he pulled his hand back to strike her. Daniel reached up and took a hold of Tao's wrist.

'Release me at once!' Tao demanded.

'I'm not going to let you hurt her.'

'No matter.' Tao snarled as he pulled away from Daniel. 'This insult will not go unanswered.'

Tao turned and stormed out of the tent. Daniel looked at Janet nervously, but she didn't seem frightened.

"I shouldn't have touched him, should I?"

"It will be alright. I can't imagin..."

'I demand punishment, Gaius!' Tao roared as he returned.

'Calm yourself, Tao.'

'This is an outrage, the next man I touch will probably die from the bad luck she has cursed me with!'

"Not good." Daniel muttered. "Janet, put your hands behind your back and try to look apologetic."

Janet followed Daniel's instructions, but it didn't seem to cool Tao's temper. Gaius walked up to the pair and looked down on them. Daniel got to his feet and started to try and defend Janet, but Gaius just held up his hand.

'Tao has accused your female of touching him without permission, since three of the men here witnessed it I know he is not lying.'

'Gaius please, it was an accident...'

'I'm sorry, Doctor, there is nothing I can do. She has transgressed a sacred law.' Gaius said sadly. 'Punishment is unavoidable.'

'Then I'll take it, whatever it is.' Daniel said quickly. 'I'm responsible for her actions so I'll take any of the consequences.'

'I am afraid in this case that is not possible.' Gaius motioned to one of his guards. 'Take her.'

'No!' Daniel barked angrily.

When Daniel made an aggressive motion towards the guard that was threatening Janet Gaius lashed out and struck him in the throat. Instantly dropped to his knees Daniel coughed and gasped for breath. Still disoriented Daniel struggled unsuccessfully as Tao and the other guard took him by the upper arms and hauled him to his feet. Being so gravely outnumbered Janet had decided not to fight the man who know held her wrists. Forced out of the medical tent they were dragged towards the middle of the tent city.

"Daniel, what are they going to do?"

"I don't know."

Janet yelped as she was pulled away from Daniel and forced to her knees. A sizable crowd had been drawn to the disturbance and they jeered and laughed. Daniel fought harder to free himself, but he simply wasn't strong enough. When Gaius stepped past him with a knife in hand he panicked.

'You can't! She hasn't done anything wrong! Please!'

Gaius didn't pay any attention to Daniel's pleas. He stepped up to Janet and walked behind her. She was breathing heavily from fear as he reached down and collected her hair in his free hand so that he could pull it away from her neck. Daniel renewed his fight for freedom when Gaius touched the blade against the back of Janet's neck.

'Gaius! No! No, please!'

"Daniel?" Janet whimpered.

"Janet!"

Daniel didn't have time to make the decision on if to watch or close his eyes. Gaius ripped the blade up sharply. Instead of cutting through her skin the knife sheered off the fist full of Janet's hair that Gaius had a hold of. Cut short her brown hair fell in messy locks just barely touching the tops of her ears.

The men holding Daniel released him, causing him to stumble forward suddenly. Not bothering with his balance he fell to his knees and scrambled the few feet it took to get to Janet. He wrapped Janet in a protective embrace, finding that she was shivering from the close call. Daniel glared up at Gaius hatefully.

'The next time we'll injure more than her pride.'